Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE42321
2009-04-27 22:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Secretary of State
Cable title:
COORDINATING U.S. LEADERSHIP OF HORN OF AFRICA
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C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 042321
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2018
TAGS: EWWT KCRM NATO PBTS PREL
SUBJECT: COORDINATING U.S. LEADERSHIP OF HORN OF AFRICA
COUNTER PIRACY:NEXT STEPS FOR NATO
REF: USNATO 160
Classified By: Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Bruce Turner
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 042321
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2018
TAGS: EWWT KCRM NATO PBTS PREL
SUBJECT: COORDINATING U.S. LEADERSHIP OF HORN OF AFRICA
COUNTER PIRACY:NEXT STEPS FOR NATO
REF: USNATO 160
Classified By: Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Bruce Turner
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: Washington Inter-Agency agrees with the way
forward outlined in USNATO 160 as modified below.
2. (C) Recently Secretary of State Clinton has called for
U.S. leadership of international counter-piracy efforts in
the Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden. She also called for a
strengthened NATO Mission with robust rules of engagement and
authorities to detain and transfer suspected pirates for
prosecution in states victimized by piracy or to prosecution
in third party states in the Horn of Africa (HOA) region At
the April 22 NAC Session, led by the U.S., Netherlands, UK
and Canada, PermReps discussed (a) expanding NATO's mandate
and rules of engagement (at least to match those of the EU),
(b) the retasking of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1
(SNMG1) to remain in the Gulf of Aden (Allies subsequently
agreed during silence procedure that SNMG1 would cancel its
scheduled out of area deployment to South East Asia and
return to Gulf of Aden - Horn of Africa counter-piracy
patrols immediately following an April 27 Karachi port
visit),and (c) possible agreement on a long-term, dedicated
NATO counter-piracy operation to contribute to global
counter-piracy efforts. Germany and France - for the first
time ) spoke in favor of a long-term NATO counter-piracy
operation. Several PermReps also spoke in support of the
Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) and
urged that sustainable legal authorities and detention
policies be worked out through that body.
END SUMMARY
3. (C) Recognizing that NATO is part of broader U.S. and
international efforts, Mission should support the following
positions in discussions at NATO:
-- (C) Revising NATO's mandate and rules of engagement, as
proposed by SACEUR, at a minimum to match those of the
European Union;
-- (C) Urging NATO to participate actively in Contact Group
discussions, particularly on legal authorities and detention
policies, in order to provide sustainable solutions to those
issues, and at the same time to pursue a NATO agreement with
regional states such as Kenya on receiving captured pirates;
-- (C) Establishment of a long-term NATO counter-piracy
operation to provide critical command and control,
coordination, and additional naval capacity as a backbone to
broader Trans-Atlantic and international counter-piracy
efforts off the coast of Somalia. The North Atlantic Council
should seek agreement on clear roles, missions, and
objectives for the NATO counter-piracy operation. Defining
the U.S. contribution to the NATO operation will be an
important component to reaching a NATO consensus, based on
NATO's value-added. This will demonstrate U.S. leadership,
and provide additional assets to efforts to counter piracy in
the HOA.
-- (U) Asking NATO military authorities to provide before
the next meeting of Defense Ministers on June 11, 2009,
advice on what forces, capabilities, and command arrangements
would be best suited for counter-piracy operations.
4. (U) It is possible that the EU will decide to renew the
Atalanta operational mandate that is now scheduled to
terminate in December. USNAVCENT and NATO should welcome
unity of effort with the EU and all international countering
piracy operations patrolling the 1.5 million square mile Horn
of Africa maritime area.
5. (SBU) NMA's should be tasked to implement the President's
goals, which were agreed by HOSGs at Strasbourg, for
establishing a long-term NATO effort to provide maritime and
coastal security capacity building assistance to the AU and
regional states. Such efforts may include NATO Mobile
Training Teams, possibly drawing on Allied Coast Guards.
NATO capacity building may also include opening of the NATO
Maritime Operations Interdiction Training Center to
higher-end African navies including Kenya and South Africa.
Regional capacity building efforts of NATO and other
international organizations and states should be mutually
supportive.
CLINTON
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2018
TAGS: EWWT KCRM NATO PBTS PREL
SUBJECT: COORDINATING U.S. LEADERSHIP OF HORN OF AFRICA
COUNTER PIRACY:NEXT STEPS FOR NATO
REF: USNATO 160
Classified By: Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Bruce Turner
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: Washington Inter-Agency agrees with the way
forward outlined in USNATO 160 as modified below.
2. (C) Recently Secretary of State Clinton has called for
U.S. leadership of international counter-piracy efforts in
the Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden. She also called for a
strengthened NATO Mission with robust rules of engagement and
authorities to detain and transfer suspected pirates for
prosecution in states victimized by piracy or to prosecution
in third party states in the Horn of Africa (HOA) region At
the April 22 NAC Session, led by the U.S., Netherlands, UK
and Canada, PermReps discussed (a) expanding NATO's mandate
and rules of engagement (at least to match those of the EU),
(b) the retasking of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1
(SNMG1) to remain in the Gulf of Aden (Allies subsequently
agreed during silence procedure that SNMG1 would cancel its
scheduled out of area deployment to South East Asia and
return to Gulf of Aden - Horn of Africa counter-piracy
patrols immediately following an April 27 Karachi port
visit),and (c) possible agreement on a long-term, dedicated
NATO counter-piracy operation to contribute to global
counter-piracy efforts. Germany and France - for the first
time ) spoke in favor of a long-term NATO counter-piracy
operation. Several PermReps also spoke in support of the
Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) and
urged that sustainable legal authorities and detention
policies be worked out through that body.
END SUMMARY
3. (C) Recognizing that NATO is part of broader U.S. and
international efforts, Mission should support the following
positions in discussions at NATO:
-- (C) Revising NATO's mandate and rules of engagement, as
proposed by SACEUR, at a minimum to match those of the
European Union;
-- (C) Urging NATO to participate actively in Contact Group
discussions, particularly on legal authorities and detention
policies, in order to provide sustainable solutions to those
issues, and at the same time to pursue a NATO agreement with
regional states such as Kenya on receiving captured pirates;
-- (C) Establishment of a long-term NATO counter-piracy
operation to provide critical command and control,
coordination, and additional naval capacity as a backbone to
broader Trans-Atlantic and international counter-piracy
efforts off the coast of Somalia. The North Atlantic Council
should seek agreement on clear roles, missions, and
objectives for the NATO counter-piracy operation. Defining
the U.S. contribution to the NATO operation will be an
important component to reaching a NATO consensus, based on
NATO's value-added. This will demonstrate U.S. leadership,
and provide additional assets to efforts to counter piracy in
the HOA.
-- (U) Asking NATO military authorities to provide before
the next meeting of Defense Ministers on June 11, 2009,
advice on what forces, capabilities, and command arrangements
would be best suited for counter-piracy operations.
4. (U) It is possible that the EU will decide to renew the
Atalanta operational mandate that is now scheduled to
terminate in December. USNAVCENT and NATO should welcome
unity of effort with the EU and all international countering
piracy operations patrolling the 1.5 million square mile Horn
of Africa maritime area.
5. (SBU) NMA's should be tasked to implement the President's
goals, which were agreed by HOSGs at Strasbourg, for
establishing a long-term NATO effort to provide maritime and
coastal security capacity building assistance to the AU and
regional states. Such efforts may include NATO Mobile
Training Teams, possibly drawing on Allied Coast Guards.
NATO capacity building may also include opening of the NATO
Maritime Operations Interdiction Training Center to
higher-end African navies including Kenya and South Africa.
Regional capacity building efforts of NATO and other
international organizations and states should be mutually
supportive.
CLINTON